Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Every Hotel Needs a 'Ricky'

When you hear the name ‘Ricky’ an illustrious few spring to mind; Ricky Gervais, Ricky Whittle, the hip swivelling Ricky Martin, not forgetting the torment of every Ricky the length & breadth of the country...Bianca’s long suffering ‘Rickaaay’ from EastEnders (yes you’ve done it too!). Following a stay at Tara Lodge hotel in Belfast, guests leave with the memory of another face to add to this quintessential list…

The Ricky we speak of is famous in his own right, not for being a successful sportsman, talented singer or a celebrated comedian (he would argue this). Our Ricky stands out reservedly just for being him, an invaluable member of the Tara Lodge team for the past 13 years. He has steadily built up a fiercely loyal fan base over the years who on arrival, generally cut straight to the chase with ‘Is Ricky still here’? We are always delighted to confirm that he is. His friendly face is one they are warmly greeted by time and time again. Throughout his long standing service Ricky has witnessed Tara Lodge transform from an unassuming 19 room Guest House into what it is today, an exquisite 34 bedroom City Centre Boutique Hotel, voted Tripadvisors number #1 Hotel in Belfast since 2007.

Ricky brings his own naturally entertaining personality to work each day. This adds a little sparkle to every guests stay. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to be served by him at breakfast, you will know what we mean! He is naturally gifted with an enviable memory which unlike most of us has not diminished with time. Derren Brown has yet to meet his Northern Irish match. At the drop of a hat he effortlessly recalls names, room preferences & even breakfast orders for guests who may not have stayed with us for many years, including in some instances, how they like their eggs cooked!

Hailing originally from ‘Pordydown’ as he puts it, Belfast has been his home now for over 30 years. What he doesn't know about Belfast, its history & attractions honestly isn't worth knowing. Above all, Ricky knows how to look after our guests, genuinely, professionally and with a lot of character. David and Angela Giglotti were compelled to write the following personal e-mail after their recent stay at Tara Lodge…

'I rarely take the time to send out a special thanks to the service we experienced. However while staying at your hotel your rooms and staff were amazing, especially Ricky, his attention to detail made us feel like I was at the Ritz five star hotel. He loves his job and it is evident right away. Wish every hotel had a Ricky!!!'

We may be biased in agreeing wholeheartedly with David & Angela but thankfully every hotel doesn’t have a Ricky, just us!

You too can experience the same amazing service first hand, from all our team. Simply click on the following link to check out our hotel rooms & current range of fantastic packages! www.taralodge.com